JOIN USCheck indiscriminate digging of borewells
In 2019, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Karnataka Groundwater Authority took two major decisions aimed at conserving groundwater in the city. One was to deny permission for new borewells in core areas with access to Cauvery water, and the other was to introduce metering to check over exploitation of ground water through borewells. Both these decisions remain on paper, even as reckless digging of borewells continues. With Bengaluru receiving copious rains in the last two years, the groundwater table has gone up and the authorities appear to have become even more lenient while granting permission, while also turning a blind eye towards illegal borewells.
Though water supply by BWSSB has considerably stabilised over the past few years, it continues to be stressed during summer, which is why most building owners prefer to have a back-up. But what the authorities and citizens fail to realise is that such indiscriminate digging of borewells could lead to disastrous consequences, especially during lean rain years. Today, the borewell has become a part of Bengaluru’s culture and it is common to find dozens of borewells in close proximity on a single stretch of road. The BWSSB has thrown up its hands, saying it simply does not have the wherewithal to monitor illegal borewells, as hundreds of houses and buildings are being constructed across the city at any given point of time. The problem is more pronounced in new localities and on the fringes of the city. With no BWSSB water connection, they depend solely on borewells for their water requirements. The United Nations has declared the right to safe and clean drinking water as a human right. It is the duty of the civic agencies to ensure that every household has access to water for drinking and sanitation. Where there is an absolute need for borewells, the concept of community borewells, where one borewell caters to a group of households, should be encouraged.
It is high time the government evolved a policy on borewells and set up a monitoring mechanism with punitive action to put an end to indiscriminate digging. Lakes are being encroached upon and city roads are being concretised, thereby preventing percolation of water. In such a situation, borewells are adding to the problem, and have emerged as the biggest threat to groundwater. Unless the government and the civic authorities act quickly, Bengaluru could stare at an acute shortage of water in the near future, with the water table depleting or even drying up.